Some Iranians are upset. one of them sent the Marriot hotel the following letter:

It has recently come to our attention that the Director of the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington D.C., Mr. Ali Jazini, has reserved a large section of the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center for a celebration of the “Twenty Sixth Anniversary of the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.”

While you may not be aware of the political and economic ramifications of this event, it is certainly in the best interest of Marriott International, Inc. and in the interest of the United States of America to deny Mr. Jazini the opportunity to hold this celebration at your Conference Center or at any other Marriott property. For your information, February 6th has been formally declared as “Death to America Day” in the Islamic Republic Calendar.

The date chosen to hold this celebration, February 6th, is closely associated with the Iran Hostage Crisis, in which Islamic fundamentalists, acting under the orders of the Iranian Government, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American Diplomats hostage, holding them for 444 days. This celebration is a blatant insult to those Americans who suffered for 444 days during the Hostage Crisis and to the 241 Americans who died at the hands of the Islamic Republic in the 1983 bombing of an American barrack in Lebanon. By associating Marriott with a government which

President Bush has repeatedly declared to be a “state sponsor of international terrorism”, you are not only putting a black mark on the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel, but also on Marriott International across America. Due to the great revulsion that the majority of expatriate Iranians and patriotic Americans feel towards the Islamic Republic, a boycott of the Marriott properties by these two groups will likely ensue and a great deal of unpleasant publicity will undoubtedly result.

Furthermore, under President Clinton (Executive Order 12959), the Islamic Republic has been declared “an extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the US”. Trade with the Islamic Republic or facilitation of its activities within the borders of the United States is illegal under U.S. law. Allowing this “celebration” to take place at the Marriott could very well violate these legal parameters set in place to protect national security, and result in a number of serious legal and financial ramifications for Marriott International.

Since its inception, a primary goal of the Islamic Republic has been to destroy what it terms “the Great Satan”, a crude reference to the United States. To this end, they have used every means at their disposal including hostage taking, targeted assassinations, bombings, and other blatant acts of terrorism. They are currently in the process of developing nuclear weapons which, if completed, could pose a major threat to American personnel and interests in the Persian Gulf region and beyond.

Given that providing a terrorist breeding ground in the United States is illegal, facilitating a celebration on Marriott property for the purpose of rejoicing in their terrorist victory borders on treason and certainly is a betrayal of those American lives taken by Islamic Republic terrorist activities. Iranian Americans will not tolerate the act of celebrating the Islamic victory against America, and we are prepared to take any action necessary to stop this event and to facilitate and support Homeland Security involvement in this matter.

Although you may have been previously unaware of the true consequences of allowing this pageant of anti-Americanism to take place, you are now being given clear notice of the true intent of the February 6th event organized by a terrorist state sponsor, the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

We thank you for your time and hope that this issue is taken seriously by the Board of Directors of Marriott Properties and its senior management staff, and that the problem is properly addressed before any damage occurs to Marriott International’s reputation.

Respectfully, Dr. Iman Foroutan Executive Director Iran Of Tomorrow Movement

I concur.